Is the Non-Resident Annual Pass worth it?

If you visit two or more of the 11 parks with the $100 nonresident fee, it is likely to cost less than paying at each gate.

Does the Discovery Pass cover Quebec national parks?

No. Quebec's parcs nationaux are run by Sépaq and have their own fees.

National park passes explained

Q: Do free entrance days apply to tourists?

No. The National Park Service says that beginning in 2026, free entrance on these days is for US citizens and residents only. Nonresidents pay the regular entrance fee and any nonresident fees.

Why passes are worth understanding

National park fees can be confusing. Some parks charge per vehicle, some per person, some nothing at all, and the rules for visitors from abroad can be different from the rules for residents. A few minutes of planning can save you money and a long queue at the gate. This guide explains the main passes in the United States and Canada, and what they do and do not cover.

Prices and rules change, so always check the official pages before you travel. The figures below were checked on the official sites in October 2026.

The United States: America the Beautiful

The US National Park Service says that most of the sites it manages are free to visit, but some require an entrance pass. At the busy western parks, an entrance fee is normal. The main option for frequent visitors is the America the Beautiful pass, which covers entrance fees at national parks and other federal recreation lands.

According to the National Park Service, the main annual passes are:

Resident Annual Pass: $80, for US citizens and residents.
Non-Resident Annual Pass: $250, for visitors who are not US residents.
Senior passes: $20 a year or $80 for life, for US citizens and residents aged 62 and over.
Military passes: free for current US military and their dependents, with lifetime passes for some groups.

A pass usually covers one private vehicle and its passengers, or the pass holder plus three adults where fees are charged per person.

The nonresident fee at 11 parks

This is the change most international visitors need to know about. At 11 national parks, nonresidents aged 16 and over must now pay a $100 nonresident fee on top of the regular entrance fee, unless they enter with an annual or America the Beautiful pass. The parks named by the National Park Service are Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion.

Several of our most popular routes are in these parks:

The Non-Resident Annual Pass covers the entrance fee and any nonresident fees for the pass holder and passengers in a private vehicle. If you are visiting from abroad and plan to see even two of these parks, the $250 pass is likely to cost less than paying at each gate. Do the sums for your own trip, and remember that the pass is signed by the holder and is not transferable.

Free entrance days

The National Park Service runs a number of free entrance days each year. The 2026 dates were 16 February, 25 May, 14 June, 3 to 5 July, 25 August, 17 September, 27 October and 11 November. We checked this point again against the NPS page: beginning in 2026, free entrance on these days is for US citizens and residents only. Nonresidents pay the regular entrance fee and any nonresident fees unless they hold the Non-Resident Annual Pass.

Timed entry and permits are separate

A pass pays the entrance fee. It does not always get you in. Some parks use timed entry or reservation systems in busy seasons, and many popular hikes need a separate permit. Overnight trips into the backcountry, such as camping in the inner canyon on a rim-to-rim crossing, need a backcountry permit. Check each park’s own page for reservations and permits as soon as you know your dates.

Canada: the Parks Canada Discovery Pass

In Canada, the equivalent is the Parks Canada Discovery Pass. Parks Canada says it gives unlimited admission for 12 months at more than 80 Parks Canada destinations, including national parks, national marine conservation areas and national historic sites. It is a good choice if you plan to visit several Parks Canada places in a year, for example Banff and Jasper on the same trip.

Rouge National Urban Park, on the edge of Toronto, is managed by Parks Canada and is Canada’s first national urban park. Check the Parks Canada page for current admission and parking details before you go.

Provincial parks are different

This catches many visitors out. Not every park called “national” in Canada is run by Parks Canada. In Quebec, the parks named “parc national” are provincial parks run by the Quebec government agency Sépaq, and the Discovery Pass does not cover them. Jacques-Cartier National Park, with its glacial valley and the Les Loups trail, is one of these. You pay a separate daily access fee or buy a Sépaq pass.

Other provinces also have their own park systems and their own fees. If a park website does not end in parks.canada.ca, assume your Discovery Pass does not apply.

Parks elsewhere

Outside North America, most parks sell tickets at the gate or online, with no national pass. Some popular parks now ask you to book a time slot in high season. At Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, for example, booking ahead in summer is strongly advised. Check the official park site, not a reseller.

A quick checklist

List the parks on your trip and check who manages each one.
Check whether you are a resident or nonresident for fee purposes.
Compare the annual pass price with the gate fees you would pay.
Check for timed entry, reservations and permits separately.
Carry your pass and photo ID, and keep a photo of the pass on your phone.
Recheck the official pages close to your trip, because fees change.

Plan your park trip

Each route page shows the best months to walk, the stops in order and a GPX file. Use Plan to build a trip around several parks, and see best hikes by month to pick the right season. If you are heading into a hot canyon, read our guide to hiking in the heat too.